Broken Promises
by Jaclyn May
Summary: Her memory haunted him. Her face, her touch... The thought of them were constant reminders of the woman he had been unable to save. Alcohol dulled the thoughts, but it didn't stop the nightmares. If he had held on tighter, maybe he could've saved her. Maybe he could've kept his promise. How does one fight their guilt when fate deals them death constantly? Leon/OC; Claire/OC


**Broken Promises**

 **Prologue**

' _I keep fighting...and fighting and fighting. Instead of seeing an end to this shit, it just keep getting worse. Is this what my life is supposed to be? Fighting the living dead and bastards that make them? What's the point of it all?' – Leon S. Kennedy_

* * *

 _ **November 23rd, 2002**_

 _It was freezing. That was the first thing the young blonde woman noticed as she stepped onto the street. It was late, past nine o'clock, and the cold night air cut through her thin jacket easily. She hadn't meant to stay at work as late as she did, but time had escaped her as she sat hunched over her paperwork. She raked a weary hand through her hair as she made her way towards her apartment, tugging her jacket tighter to herself in an attempt to keep warm. She mentally berated herself for not grabbing a thicker jacket that morning. It was true that she didn't need it while she worked, but she had been leaving when it was deathly cold in her opinion as of late._

 _A strong hand gripped her arm and she tensed out of reflex, her hand clenching into a fist at her side as she turned around, ready to attack the person who had grabbed her out of reflex. However, upon seeing the familiar face she paused, arching an eyebrow. "Leon? Wasn't expecting to see you around here anytime soon. Aren't you meant to be on vacation?"_

" _When have you ever known me to actually take a vacation, Alicia?" He joked lightly, dropping his hand and raking his hair from his eyes as the wind moved it._

 _Alicia rolled her eyes, reaching into her hand for her car keys as they made their way over to the opposite side of the street where she was parked. "What are you doing here so late?"_

" _Could ask you the same question." He countered, following her to her car, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket._

" _Got caught up on some case files. Didn't realise the time. You headed straight home?" She smiled as she leant against her car, fiddling with the keys in her hand. She had only known Leon for little over a year but she had come to enjoy his company, even if he did have a brooding expression half of the time._

" _Yeah it gets like that." Leon chuckled at her comment, nodding his head in agreement. "I was thinking of grabbing a drink. It's been a long week. Care to join?"_

 _Ali raised an eyebrow, surprised by the offer. She considered it for a moment before putting her keys back in her pocket. "I suppose I can grab one drink with you."_

 _Leon grinned at her, inclining his head in the direction of one of the bars down the street. "My shout. Think of it as my birthday gift to you. Besides, the bar is pretty nice."_

" _I'll be the judge of that." Ali winked at him as the two set off down the road. She figured a drink wouldn't hurt, and the alcohol would no doubt warm her up. Not to mention she had no plans for her birthday, in fact she'd pretty much forgotten it completely. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as Leon lead her to the bar. She thought it cute that he'd remembered her birthday, and that he was willing to spend it with her. She made a mental note that she needed to take him for coffee as a thank you, and an excuse to get to know him better. After all, he was pretty to look at and she could definitely get used to that._

* * *

 _ **November 23rd, 2015**_

Leon examined the glass in his hand, swirling the amber liquid it contained. He downed the glass in a mouthful, welcoming the burning sensation as it slid down his throat. He glanced down at his watch, frowning when he saw it was almost midnight. He hadn't meant to stay at the bar as late as he had, but he supposed the mixture of alcohol and his wandering mind had resulted in him losing track of time. He through a tip onto the bar as he pushed himself to his feet with a groan, steadying himself against the bar before making his way out onto the street. As he stepped out of the bar, the cold November air was like a slap in the face, sobering him up ever so slightly.

"Didn't expect to see you back here." Leon's head shot to the side as he heard the familiar male voice whose tone was almost disapproving. He scowled when he met the other man's gaze, taking in the civilian clothes. He wasn't used to seeing him out of military uniform, but the way he crossed his arms made him intimidating all the same.

"What do you want, Chris?" Leon all but snarled at the other man, beginning to move down the street. He intended to get into a taxi and go home and sleep, after some more alcohol perhaps.

Chris sighed heavily as he followed him, mentally berating himself for letting Claire talk him into going and finding their friend. He knew today would be tough on Leon, but he hadn't expected to find him wasting away in a bar. "Just checking in on you."

Leon scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Didn't say you did." Chris retorted, grabbing Leon's arm as the other man staggered. "Claire sent me to check on you.'

"Why?" Leon frowned. He hadn't spoken to Claire in what seemed like months. They were both busy in their respective career fields, and he hadn't expected to be on her mind at all.

"Well, considering today's date…" Leon stopped abruptly, causing Chris to cut off his words. He half expected Leon to turn around and punch him. He suspected that would be more therapeutic than drinking himself into a stupor and regretting it in the morning.

"I don't want to talk about it. I want to go home and sleep." Leon muttered, fumbling for his keys and almost dropping them. He could feel Chris's gaze boring into his back as he watched him, no doubt waiting for him to break down or break into a rage. He wasn't quite sure of which he wanted to do himself, he just knew he was exhausted.

Chris continued to watch him for a few more moments, letting the heavy silence loom over the both of them. He finally broke the silence, attempting to speak to his friend in a comforting manner. "I miss her too."

"What happened… It was all my fault. I should've been more careful. If I hadn't let my guard down…" Leon clenched his jaw before slamming his fist into the nearest wall. Pain shot through his whole arm, and he knew he would feel it even more in the morning, but right now he didn't care. He just wanted to feel more than the ache in his chest.

"She wouldn't want you blaming yourself." Chris placed his hand on Leon's shoulder, squeezing it in a comforting manner. Right now he needed to get his friend home and in bed. They could deal with the hangover and bruised hand in the morning. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading! This is an idea that I've had in my brain for ages and have finally decided to do something about it. I hope you enjoyed it! Make sure to drop a review and let me know what you think and if you want to read more! xx**


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